Gianni Infantino

MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. The Russian Football Union (RFU) will support UEFA Secretary General Gianni Infantino at the election of the FIFA president set for February 26, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who heads the RFU said on Wednesday.

"We agree with most European countries and believe that Infantino is our candidate for FIFA presidency," he added.

"He has a vast experience and works at UEFA, which is the most successful organization at the moment," Mutko said. "He will be able to unite the football family."

The officially registered candidates running for the post of the FIFA president in February 26 elections are: Gianni Infantino, FIFA Vice President and Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, South Africa’s ex-Minister Of Housing Construction Tokyo Sexwale, former-FIFA Secretary General Jerome Champagne and President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

"Boasting a vast experience he works for UEFA, which is the most efficiently operating organization at the moment. He will be able to unite the football family," the Russian sports minister added.

Infantino is currently on a visit to the Russian capital and on Wednesday afternoon he joined Mutko at the official ceremony to unveil the emblem for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

The high-ranking UEFA executive thanked Mutko and RFU for the "fantastic support" adding that it was an "honor" and he was very "proud of it."

Infantino also said that FIFA had been recently living through difficult times and it was very important to be strong at the moment.

In his election campaign manifesto Infantino proposed that more than two countries should be having the privilege of hosting the FIFA World Cup at one time.

"FIFA should investigate the possibility of organizing the World Cup not only in one or two countries but in a whole region, so enabling several countries to enjoy the honor and benefits of hosting the World Cup," Infantino said in his election campaign manifesto.

His proposal of hosting the global football tournament echoes the first-ever attempt to hold the European football championship in 2020 in separate countries for the first time.

A chain of corruption scandals rocked FIFA throughout last year. Everything flared up within an unprecedented scandal on the morning of May 27, one day before the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich, where seven of the organization’s high-ranking officials were arrested in Switzerland on bribery, money laundering and corruption charges.